I find him very honest as he won't say things to the media just because that's what the media want to hear. He will say what is on his mind. Which means that if he's pissed off after a match, he won't make any effort either to give the opponent credit in interviews.

But what is on his mind isn't necessarily true, he sometimes deludes himself imo, when he means he lost because he was unlucky, or because he didn't really want it, etc. He regularly says that. Like when he says he doesn't want to win matches 6-2 6-1 or the story after the Youzhny match in Miami. As for me, I don't buy it, I don't think he is completely honest with himself there either. But it's apparently his way to deal with those situations, so... whatever works for him.

I think it is perfectly fine to voice high ambitions for the AO and I have no difficulties to believe that he was not fully motivated for a tourney like Sydney. But to experiment in match in which the opponent also played badly, does ring a bit strange, in particular when it was his first real match of 2009. There was enough time to experiment at the Hopman Cup.

I'm sure Richard also deserves way more credit than Gilles is giving him, of course, Tulasne acknowledges it was the perfect tactic against Gilles. And if he had been given a chance to win, Gilles would have been too happy to finally beat Ritchie.
But Gilles must also have played in a weird way for the journalist to ask him "what the heck were you thinking out there?"

It's the easy way out, but it makes sense he decided to put himself in that frame of mind. "I'm just experimenting around anyway." That way he doesn't feel crushed by the defeat a few days before the AO.
It's quite artificial because we know he badly, badly wants to beat Richard, on the contrary. But it was not the appropriate time for that match.

I think Truc voiced my thoughts much better than I did (I really have trouble voicing them correctly in English so I'm going to practice a bit ! Sorry for that )

He's honest in the sense where he says what he believes is true and doesn't care about who's listening or if he should say it or not. But I think there are some things he just refuses to admit ("à chaud", when he's still in the match and didn't have time to reflect much on it). As a result, what he says is not always accurate but it's not because he's lying or pretending, but because it's his way of protecting himself, even if he's not totally conscient of it. How does that sound okay it was far from fluent English but I'm working on it.

This way of thinking is very close to mine actually. I often refuse to see the situation as it really is so as not to admit that I failed, or didn't do all that I should have. And then I have enough and sit somewhere to deal with myself, because deep down I know that I'm wrong and it's not a satisfying feeling at all. But I'm probably reading to much in those quotes, haha ^^ And as Truc said, whatever works for him.

As long as he doesn't start to experiment in the middle of the AO final against Murray when he's leading two sets to love, I'm fine with it

Gilles is in Rafa's quarter for AO and is playing Pablo Andujar (who??) in the 1st round.

Exactly my reaction.

Just checked on Wikipedia :Pablo Andújar
best ranking : 88th (25/08/2008)
entered a GS MD only twice before, lost to Nicolas Devilder in USO 08 1st R.
and that's it!
Should be an easy first round for Gillou if he's not experimenting too much.>_<

LaMonf, Richie, Serra & Devilder are also in the same quarter. (and Misha )

seriously, this draw is not that bad. He has beaten Karlovic before and Ancic isn't 100%. When it comes to Monfils, we'll just have to wait and see who is more consistent that day. (Gilles, below 50% first serve ain't gonna fly...)

Still, the positives clearly outweigh the few negatives (tough one for me personally, but that's not important + not great for them to play a friend + no great news for the viewers either ). It means they would both be in the 4th round of a Slam, one of them would make it to a QF, for both of them it's pretty much the best seed they could get at that point because they're both really beatable... Honestly, it sounds great to me.

But they're really, really not there yet. With Karlovic, Ancic, Youzhny, etc. in that part of the draw. And both having painful feet.